Internet Governance and Dealing with Disruption

We are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to help facilitate these conversations and, in our small way, contribute to improving the state of the world. Below you will find some key insights on two sessions at Davos.

Internet Governance / How can we keep “worldwide” in the web

How can 7 billion people benefit more from an efficient, resilient and open internet?

Session objectives were to enable cooperation and engagement in the global dialogue, reconcile practical enterprise issues with policy implications, and question assumptions about a desired future state.

There is a tension between desired predictability at the infrastructure level and desired unpredictability at the application level of the Internet

We need to increase identity and privacy assurance without a concentration of power

Applications may lead to an undesired concentration of power

We need to work together to provide greater access to 7 billion people not on the Internet

Dealing with Disruption

From the Sharing Economy to the Internet of Things, how can a level playing field be preserved in the face of industry disruption?

The session objectives were to balance consumer benefits and job protection, establish approaches to regulating new technologies, and navigate between incumbents and newcomers.

Should we deregulate what incumbents have to deal with, or regulate the disrupters?

There is a need for increased transparency and involving the broader community as a key part of the solution

Generally, regulation is antithetical to innovation, because governments can’t keep up with the pace of change